Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-08
DAILY HERALD.
THE INDIANS.
What General Miles Says
of their Disposition,
KEEP THEM FROM ARIZONA.
The Best Opinion on the Apache
Question that has Yet
Been Given.

General Nelson A. Miles and Mr.
Herbert Welsh, Secretary Of the In
dian Friends Society, have been en-
gagged in correspondence relating to ths
removal OF the indians from the West
and also on the question of their return
to Arizona and New Mexico. General
Miles last letter ON the subject seems to
give the best idea OF the disposition oil
the Indians and for that reason it is re-
produced below in full. The Indians
have been sent to Mt. Vernon, Alabama,
and General Miles letter probably
caused that disposition of them.
Los ANGELES, Cal, April 70, 1857
Mr.. HERBERT WELSH, Germantown, Pa
DEAR Mr.. WELsH-lour very kind l4er
of April Sd is at hand. l am very glad to
learn from your communication that 1t is
not your purpose to recommend the return
OF the Chiricahua and Warm Spring In
dians to Arizona, and that, as understand,
you advocate their being placed on some
suitable reservation. / infer from your
letter, therefore, that the impression con-
veyed in tine extracts published in the Ar
my and Navy Register were erroneous, as
the "high dry plains of the West" seemed
10 indicate the territories of New Mexico
and Arizona
In the same article OF that paper there
appeared statements alleged to have been
made by the Indians which are utterly un-
true, and ould be easily disproved II is
possible, however, that the errors may have
occurred in the Interpretation or theme ethod
by which the statements were given to the
public For instance 1t is stated that they
ii. 81.
back to Apache, whereas they we're told
distinctly nd most emphatically that they
could not return to Apache, and they fully
understood. In order that there may be no
Misunderstanding regarding my views
on this snb bject may as well say that 1t was
my belief that the purpose of the Govern
ment " as to send the hosti es that might sur
render to the military authorities, to Fort
Marion, Florida, but l strongly advised
against sending to that place those Indians
who mad been living underline surveillance
of the military at Fort Apache, who al.
though fed and regarded Dominally es pris-
oners of wsr had not been charmed. Yet
the imperative necessity for their removal
out of Arizona was, In my Judgment, as
manifest as for the destruction or cap
ture of the hostiles under Geronimo.
II was with that view that obtained
permission to send the delegation of In-
dians to Washington, In order that they
might see for themselves that the proposed
change involved no hardships, and rec
ommend that they be allowed to visit such
lands as might be available or obtainable
for them, at least ], 200 miles east of their ac
customed mountain haunts, upon which
they could be placed until such time as the
Government might be able TO locate them
upon some permanent reservation. They
were allowed to go to Washington, but moth
ing was accomplished-the Indians in
sisted upon returning to and re-
naming in the mountains of Arizona, and
the delegation was ordered back. At my
earnest remonstrance and solicitation. they
were stopped, while en- route to the West,
at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Mean
while. they had manifested very
turbulent aud defiant spirit, hut when they
learned that If they returned to Arizona or
New Mexico they would be liable to be ar
rested by the civil authorities for the muir
ders they had committed, under indict-
ments already existing against them, they
agreed to 20 to any place I might designate
until the Government might provide them
with a reservation and ample means for
self support My intention then waste fol-
found successful with the Moses Indians in
Washington Territory. That arrangement,
however, was not confirmed, aud was In
formed that 1t hid been decided as u pre-
liminary step" to send them to Florida. 1
sent several telegrams urging that they be
not sent TO that place, but finally / received
en- order from Adjutant General Drum, Act
ing Secretary of War. To send the Indians
straight 10 Florida" and to that place they
were sent.
Imay sayin this connection that while
think ! anticipated what has occurred. viz
complaints OF unusual sickness of the In
dians and sympathy in their behalf on the
part of the friends OF the Indians In the
East, nevertheless realized the imperative
necessity to remove them from Arizona and
New Mexico, for as long as they ramained
peace, and neither life nor prop.
erty of settlers in the exposed
region was secure. The very nature of the
rugged and mountainous country, with
every nook and corner of which they be-
came familiar from the time they could
first Erlde horse. encourages the idea
that they were secure in whatever deviltry
or depreciation they might commit.
Their camps have been mere breeding
places and the fountain source OF all In
dian bostilities that have occurred for
years in the southwestern territories. 1t
mattered not whether a just grievance ex-
listed with them or not; at peace to-day they
might be at war tomorrow. Debauched by
the frequent use of the fiery mescal and
'tiswin," the most vicious OF all crudely
manufactured liqnors, their camps were
the scenes of constant drunken brawls in
any one of which was liable IT,
end in riot, and start band of
ruthless savages on the war path.
whether to escape pnnishmens aa n their own
a spirit of reckless adventure. One of these
festal riots occurred last summer while l
was at Apache. and | saw myself one OF
their attendant evils: four squaws becom-
ing engaged in brutal encounter and the
other indians looking en- with apparent
qualification. 1t was at that time, as on ac-
casions before, that one OF their prolonged
debonches occurred, ana even some OF the
the East, were, despite their pretended 10y
atty, discovered to be engaged in instigat-
ing revolt and general outbreak.
Some of those Indians nov in Florida
nt np "a ~ a r.pa n los nf
them have been used as scouts. but it Is
likewise true that nearly every one of them
has been engaged at one time or another in
murder and pillage: One o, of the the apparently
party OF soldiers at timo when the fugi-
tive hostiles were almost within grasp, and
mahy OF the officers had no confidence in
them Chatto himself led one of the most
fiendish raids In the history of that coun-
try. brutally numbering ninety persons in
three days.
only mention these points to show the
absolute necessity OF their removal fron,'
been led to believe they were invincible,
and would earnestly protest on behalf OF
desolated and bereaved homes-homes OF
pioneers, miners and settlers In insoiated
tense Indians be sent back to Arizona or
New Mexico now or hereafter. II kindly
sympathy Is due to the Indian, surely the
citizen is no less deserving OF consid
be given to the military. whose nrduous
duty 1t has been for years to insure
peace and protection, and who are natur
ally anxious not to have their success
fnl work quickly undone, l am gratihed
that the government is considering the
proposition to send them to some more suit
aole place. and II the government gives
them some healthful place OF abode east OF
the Missouri river and refrains from turn:
ing them over to the civil authorities oil
New Mexico and Arizona, sac no injustfc
hardly complain; in fact. their condition
would be benefited.
have fek 1t my duty to write thus gen
orally to you on this subject, appreciating
as do the interest you have manifested In
the matter.
have the honor to be
Very respectfully
Your obedient servant,
(5igned) NELSON a: MILES.
Brigadier-( eneral. y. B, A,